Creative Workshops:
Narrative Diagrams / Sculpting Paper
Empower your mind at this workshop exploring the language of diagrams.
Understand your thought processes
Improve visual communication skills
Present information with clarity
Draw with confidence
Diagrams are an accessible, direct means of describing the world as we perceive it.
By organising information on paper we gain insights into our mental structures.
Diagrams come in many forms, from family trees to timelines, bubble diagrams to flowcharts. In these workshops we apply organising principles to narratives of time, location, object and action. Through drawing on the knowledge already embedded in our minds, we create a structured snapshot of the world.
Objectives
In this workshop, participants will learn:
A process for producing clear diagrams
How their mind stores and connects data
How to select an organising structure
How to communicate ideas effectively
Greater confidence in hand drawing
Course Content
Introduction
Warm-up exercise
Assembling the ingredients
Finding structure – the central challenge.
Drawing the Diagram
Group discussion and analysis
Audience
This course is ideal for anyone wishing to improve their communication skills.
This course was first created for professional architects, delivered as in-house CPD, and is widely applicable, with participants including project managers, teachers, students, children, and amateurs.
Teaching Style
This workshop combines an introduction to diagramming with timed exercises and one-to-one tuition. Participants receive a balance of tightly and loosely defined tasks, and work towards individual drawings at large scale. Closing discussions provide a forum to share and consolidate learning.
Since the workshop isn’t about creating perfect pictures or mastering technical skills, it gives those who are less confident freedom to express themselves, and gives those who are more confident a fresh challenge.
The workshop aims to have a lasting impact on attendees, with insights and skills enabling them to change how they tackle problems, empowering them to draw in the work environment, and improving their visual presentations. The material can be delivered as a one-off workshop or as a series.
Peter Ayres
Peter Ayres is a designer, artist, and educator.
As Project Lead at Heatherwick Studio, Peter designed, developed, and delivered buildings around the world. His explainer diagrams are central to the exhibition ‘Heatherwick Studio: Designing the Extraordinary’.
He designs logos and brand identities for diverse clients, and contributed graphics to the global bestseller ‘Information is Beautiful’.
He has led workshops on the creative process for over ten years, and specialises in workshops on narrative diagramming and paper sculpture.
He designs, develops, and facilitates drawing workshops for architects and engineers with Drawing At Work